Courting Ron
by Lady Granger
Summary: Hermione's a female, and she's ready for the world to know it! When Ron (and Harry) finally see her in the oh-my-god-she's-a-woman light, but do nothing about it, Hermione decides to take matters into her own hand-- by courting Ron!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Alas, I am not the almighty writing goddess, J. K. Rowling. I am just an enthusiastic fan.

Notes: asterisks (**) indicate flashbacks

Hermione smirked.

She knew it would only have been a matter of time before Ron and Harry noticed she was a pure, hot-blooded female. But she never thought it was take them this long. She found it a little hard to believe that they'd known her for seven years, and it only hit them now that there was a possibility that Hermione Granger was anything other than a mothering, bookworm friend. 

She recalled a moment from their fourth year.

_**Ron had been staring at her for a full two minutes, seemingly contemplating something. Suddenly, he said, "Hermione, Neville's right—you _are _a girl. . . ."_

_"Oh well spotted," came from her mouth while "Boys are stupid," came from her mind._

_After a few more bits of dialogue (she couldn't remember the exact words), she had said something like "Just because it's taken _you _three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one _else _has spotted I'm a girl!"_

_Then he grinned at her and asked her to the ball again. Oh how hard it had been to turn down that grin. Why couldn't he have done that before Viktor asked her? In a fit of anger, she had shouted that she already _had _a date, thank you very much, and stormed off.**_

Later, Hermione remembered, she had felt a bit depressed that they hadn't cared to notice she was a girl. Now that she was almost a woman, the wait had been worth it. Sure, Ron and Harry tried to act the same around her, but she caught their sidelong glances and starry-eyed expressions at her.

Her smirk faltered a bit. 

These guys were her best friends, had been since her first year at Hogwarts. This new attention was great, but did she really want her relationship with Ron to change? Ron _and Harry_, she corrected.

She laughed. Was she still denying the crush she'd had on Ron? It was silly and pointless to—

"Hermione? Hermione?  Are you okay?" Ron's concerned voice broke through her thoughts.   
  


His voice had gotten deeper, she noticed. "Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. Just thinking about… questions I'm going to have to ask at the staff meeting tonight. Don't want to start off the new school year slacking off on my Head Girl duties."__

Yes, that's right. Let him believe she's a dutiful as ever. Let him believe she's still bookwormy, frizzy Hermione, who would never, ever be thinking about how cute a certain Weasley's freckles look after a Quidditch victory…

**What do you think? Should I continue? 10 reviews, please!**


	2. Various Musings

Thanks for the nice reviews everyone! I'm still a bit new at uploading and updating and such… so please bear with me! I agree with those reviewers who don't want to see Hermione out of character, so I'm going to try to keep her in canon.

Disclaimer: I'm not J. K. Rowling, just an enthusiastic fan.

Notes: Single asterisks (*) indicate thoughts. Double asterisks (**) indicate flashbacks.

Courting Ron: Chapter 2

In reality, Hermione –did- have a meeting with the Hogwarts staff later that night. Professor McGonagall briefly mentioned that the meeting was more of a Head Boy/Girl orientation than anything else… she would be introduced to the staff, briefed on all the necessary passwords and protocols, and given a list of all the House prefects. Hermione bade her friends farewell and headed up to her dormitory to do some unpacking before the meeting. She worked meticulously, smoothing out her conservative, yet stylish, wardrobe, putting her textbooks in alphabetical order on her desk, and setting up pictures of her parents and friends on the various tables and nightstands around her room.

She glanced at her watch— still had an hour left. As it had no homework to concentrate on, her mind wandered to her classmates. The boys, to be more specific.

First, she wondered about Terry Boot. Since he was this year's Head Boy, she'd be working a lot with the reserved Ravenclaw. Hermione had spotted him several times in the library, but homework had prevented both of them from talking much to each other. He seemed very sweet, and she'd enjoy getting to know him during the year.

Then she thought about Harry. In many ways, he was still the shy little boy she'd met on the Hogwarts express six years earlier. Yet he was standing a little taller now, more observant and less trusting of strangers now, but still gentle with his trusted companions. He'd gotten closer to Ginny Weasley in the past few years, Hermione noticed, though the two hadn't moved beyond the occasional hug and tickle fights. She made a mental note to talk with, and maybe encourage, Ginny later in the week.

Then her mind moved on to Ron. He'd gotten a bit taller over the summer- she barely came to his chin now. His voice, as she'd heard earlier, had gotten deeper. His blue eyes, slightly muted from all stress of the years, still managed to captivate her distracted attention. When focused on her, she felt as if she could drown on those sapphire pools…

Suddenly, Crookshanks jumped on to her lap, purring slightly.  Hermione went to stroke her cat's fur and saw the time on her watch. Fifteen minutes! And she had to go down four flights of Hogwarts' crazy changing staircases!!

Hurriedly she pushed Crookshanks off her lap, grabbed a quill and some parchment, and rushed out the door. She was two flights down and just about to turn a corner when she abruptly collided with a solid body. She fell on her bum, and her parchment flew in various directions.

Scrambling to collect the paper, she said "So sorry about th—."

"Hey, watch where you're go—." Both parties turned to face each other at the same time.

"Malfoy!" Hermione gasped. "What are –you- doing up here?"

"Oh shove off Granger. I don't have time for your crap." With that,  Draco Malfoy, enemy of her beloved best friends, turned and stalked off without leaving a single insult. Hermione's mind raced. What was he doing up here? Why was he acting strangely? Where was he going? Maybe she should do something… the Head Girl always has a right to know. 

But with another glance at her watch, all thoughts of Malfoy, his strange behavior, and the various bits of parchment she hadn't collected were abandoned as she flew down the second-floor staircase. Four minutes! She'd better make it in time…

Author's notes: So, what do you think? I think I'll be able to find more inspiration if I got, say, ten reviews for this chapter….?


	3. What's a Girl to Do?

**Notes from the Lady: **Thanks to all you nice reviewers out there who took pity on me and my first muddlings with ff.net and its crazy uploading, re-loading, replacing, and whatnot… Also, Kat Maxwell- I agree that it's a bit stupid to require a number of reviews. I won't be doing so after the second chapter. However, since this is the first time I've done any of this, I simply wanted a bit of encouragement. Anyway, here's chapter 3!

**Disclaimer:** I am not J. K. Rowling, just a novice trying to express her gratitude through imitation… the sincerest form of flattery. * big grin * 

Courting Ron- Chapter 3 

Hermione paused outside the door to the Great Hall's antechamber to compose herself. She ran a few fingers through her hair, still slightly frizzy after all these years. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she pushed open the door and was relieved to see all the teachers still standing around, casually chatting with one another.

She spotted Terry talking to Professor Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw. As she went to join them, she bumped into Professor Snape.

"Miss Granger," Snape sneered, "If you don't mind, I'd prefer _not_ to be mowed down like a piece of grass."

Hermione, instead of arguing the point, just nodded and walked away. Terry, who had noticed Hermione coming over, rolled his eyes in Snape's direction and gave Hermione a sympathetic smile. Hermione returned the expression and went to speak. Just then, however, Dumbledore spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats so that we may come to order." He paused for a moment to let the noise die down. "Thank you. First of all, I'd like to welcome all of you back to another year at Hogwarts. I'm sure it will be quite enjoyable if we all work together peacefully." Dumbledore ignored the audible huff that came from Snape's general direction. "Also, I'd to welcome this year's Head Boy and Girl, Mr. Terry Boot and Miss Hermione Granger. Most of you have already had the pleasure of teaching these fine students; now you will be able to work with them. Due to heightened security measures, Mr. Boot and Ms. Granger will be given new responsibilities that their predecessors never received. I am asking that all of you notify them of any changes to your office passwords; one never knows if such knowledge will come in handy." He paused here, waiting for any outbursts or protests. After a glance at Snape, who remained surprisingly calm, he continued.

Half an hour later, Hermione sighed. Normally she wouldn't have minded spending so much time amongst her teachers, but she'd hardly had the chance to spend time with her friends since arriving at school the night before. Except for the first dinner and breakfast, she'd barely seen them at all. And to be quite honest, staff meetings were a bit _boring_. A bunch of teachers sitting around, either debating various rules or listening to one speak, wasn't a big thriller. The only "exciting" part was choosing the first passwords of the year—an event that took a total of fifteen minutes. Apparently, the staff wasn't too choosy when it came to odd phrases; "Roman holiday", "Spanish rain", and "dancing stars" quickly became prefect bathroom passwords.

Finally Dumbledore said, "I think that just about concludes our meeting. If anyone has any questions for me, I'll be in my office after lunch. The password is 'sugar frogs'. Now, to lunch!"

Hermione grinned. Now she could go and visit the rest of the Gryffindors. She had gathered her things and started for the door when Terry said, "Hey, Hermione, I think it would be a good idea if we meet later tonight to discuss schedules and prefect meetings and such."

"Sure, Terry. Let's say… eight o'clock in our common room? Great." With that, Hermione headed to lunch.

Ron greeted her with a grin and a hug. "Hey 'Mione! We never reckoned it would take so long for a staff meeting…"

Hermione glanced at him ruefully. " ' 'Mione?' Where did that come from? And to be quite honest, I didn't expect it to take so long either… Hey, did we get our schedules yet?"

"Yeah, Double Herbology with the Ravenclaws, Potions with the Slytherings (I think it's a conspiracy!), and Charms with the Hufflepuffs," Harry replied. "The rest is just standard."

"Hermione, did you do something to your hair? It looks different," Ron said.

Hermione blushed slightly. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing? No, I haven't really had the time to do anything with it… Been busy, you know."

Ron answered, "Oh. Well, it looks kinda nice, anyway." He blushed furiously before changing the subject to Quidditch.

Hermione quickly went into Ignoring Mode. Sports just wasn't her thing, especially those that involved flying. Instead, she focused on Ron. He'd greeted her with a hug… did he linger just a second longer than a normal friendly hug? And he'd flashed that million-watt grin of his, too. Then he complimented her hair… sort of. Add those actions to the glances she had noticed the night before and in Diagon Alley the week before, and she'd almost think he fancied her a bit.

Nah, Hermione, that's just your imagination. You want him to fancy you just because you fancy him.

Well, she mused, she _had_ changed over the summer… slight tan, a little fuller, a little curvier. Her mum had bleached her teeth, too; not a blinding white color, but a soft, creamy white. And although she didn't wear makeup, except on very special occasions, Hermione thought she had relatively pretty features. She might not have been any Fleur Delacour, but she was attractive enough.

Idiot. You should use that to your advantage! You can make him fancy you, even if it's just a little bit.

She bit her lip. Did she really want _make _Ron like her?__

You couldn't make him do anything he really didn't want to do… no Dark Arts for you. And, let's face it, he's a male. Males tend to be a bit slow in realizing what's right in front of their faces.

Hermione grinned slightly. She didn't have to wait around, wondering if she was interpreting Ron's signals correctly. No, _she'd_ have control over the situation. She'd let _him_ do the wondering. 

Her grin turned into a smirk. She knew what she was going to do.

Hermione was going to court Ron!


	4. If At First You Don't Succeed...

**Author's Notes:** Hi everyone, sorry for the slight delay. I have no idea where I'm going with this story, so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Anyway, I'm not planning on reading this chapter after I finish typing it, so any inconsistencies will be due to that. Any mistakes will probably be amended in the future. Other than that, reviews are welcome!

**Courting Ron- Chapter 4**

Hermione studied herself in the mirror. She thought she looked _great_, but would Ron think so? 

She decided to try out her new look on Harry. Quickly she jotted a note and sent a pygmy owl to Harry, asking him to meet her in the Gryffindor common room in twenty minutes, alone. Then she reapplied her lip gloss, curled some brunette ringlets around her fingers, charmed the hem of her scarlet robes to swish to-and-fro when she walked, and practiced swinging her hips gently from side to side. After an approving comment from the mirror, she pranced out her bedroom.

She took her time on her way to the Gryffindor common room, practicing her little walk. Just as she rounded a corner, she spotted Draco Malfoy coming up the hall.

A few seconds later, he noticed Hermione standing in front of him. He started, then did a double-take. After a few minutes of this appraising look, he sneered, "So, dolled yourself up for your little boyfriend, eh? You know, being such a smart witch, you should know how to properly use those makeup spells. And that color makes you look bloated."

Hermione cheeks flushed in a fit of anger, but she managed to keep her cool. "Oh yes, Malfoy, I'm just _so_ ugly that you had to stand in my way, ogling me for two full minutes before you delivered your platitudes. Either I'm not as ugly as you claim, or your wit is getting duller…" With that, Hermione pushed past him and continued toward the Gryffindor tower. 

A few minutes later, she breezed into the common room and looked around. It looked deserted except for the mass of bobbing black hair peeking over the high edge of one of the armchairs. Hermione paused, then proceeded to the chair next to Harry's, making sure her hips were smoothly swishing until she sat down. 

"Hi Harry," she breathed slightly. 

Harry just looked at her like she was from another planet. Hermione faltered a bit, then said, "Well, thanks for meeting me. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit, while I had some free time. Between homework, classes, and Head Girl duties, I hardly have time for my friends. And I kind of miss you, Ron, and Ginny."

At the sound of Ginny's name, Harry snapped out of his trance. "Ginny? Oh… right. Yeah, we miss you too, 'Mione. It feels like it's been ages since we've all been able to just get together, talk, or go to Hogsmeade, you know? What the heck did you do to your _face_?"

Hermione was stunned, then began blinking rapidly to stop any unwanted tears.

_Oh, for Merlin's sake, that's all I need right now is runny mascara. Damn this makeup, I should have known this was a bad idea!_

"Erm…. Well, you see, I… I have to go!" With that, Hermione fled from the common room, leaving Harry gaping after her. A few minutes later, Ron ambled in.

"Ron! You just missed Hermione! Something's wrong because I think she had makeup on her face. Not that she looked bad, 'cause she looked great and she had this little swish in her walk and those robes looked fantastic, but that's just not Hermione and…" Harry continued rambling until Ron shook him out of it.

"What are you talking about, Harry? Hermione doesn't wear makeup.. Where'd she go?" Harry could only point in the general direction of the Head dormitory. Ron sighed.

"I'll go see her and get the story straight from her. You seem like you're in shock or something…" 

**A/N:** Sorry all, about the lack of updating… I just haven't felt compelled to write any more. I corrected a few mistakes I found in this chapter (Draco Malfoy is the Head Boy in ANOTHER fic, not this one… ^^;;;) and made some general [in my opinion] improvements. Criticism is welcome, especially in the form of advice. 


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